Sustainability

Sustainability

When you do business with Pioneer Log Homes of BC, you not only get the high quality log home of your dreams but you also work with a company that gives back to the environment and ensures it is thriving. Commitment to sustainability is not only our promise, it is our guarantee.

Western Red Cedar is one of Mother Nature’s greatest inventions. We take enormous pride in managing the reforestation and renewal of these wonderful trees. Our business and our future depend on our forests, which is why we are committed to returning the favour to Mother Nature.

Building green, from design to construction is the right thing to do, environmentally, economically and socially.

At Pioneer Log Homes of BC we know that it is up to our generation to conserve and preserve the natural beauty and majesty of our ecosystem. Once the trees are harvested, crews go back into the logging area and conduct reforestation using native species including Western Red Cedar – each year more than 200 million seedlings are planted in British Columbia and 650 million throughout Canada. Through biodiversity, and in accordance with British Columbia’s Forest Practices Code, we are able to give back to Mother Nature to ensure a healthy new forest. Our responsibility is to the forests, which provide the raw materials our business is built upon, and we are committed to stewardship of Canada’s natural resources.

Building green, from design to construction is the right thing to do, environmentally, economically and socially. The use of wood helps to create structures that are ecologically sound, energy efficient, architecturally pleasing and durable. Wood from well managed forests is an excellent environmental choice. Builders and home buyers all over the world are realizing that a wood structure is healthy, comfortable, has lower energy consumption, and has better overall performance. A wood structure also reduces the impact of buildings on human health and the environment in regards to site selection, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and demolition.

The use of more wood for construction is a natural and easy way to make a difference for the environment. Wood reduces greenhouse gases and stores carbons. A healthy sustainable forest is a readily available solution to climate change. On an average, an acre of healthy growing tree absorbs almost 3 tons of carbon dioxide and releases close to 2 tons of oxygen. As growth slows and the tree ages, less carbons are absorbed.

Pioneer Log Homes of BC and the Pioneer Group are committed to reforestation and using wood from local areas to reduce harmful carbons released to the environment by other fossil fuels. We are committed to social, environmental, and economical responsibility over the long term.

Did you know wood and wood products need the least amount of energy to manufacture and has the lowest impact on air and water quality? Wood is natural so it does not have the toxic by-products that are associated with other building materials in regards to manufacturing.

We build only wood structures. For over 40 years we have understood the benefits of using wood. It is easy to work with, versatile, recyclable and grows using only solar energy. Wood is the only major building material that is truly renewable!

Did you know it takes 24 times more energy to produce a ton of concrete and 5 times more energy to produce a ton of steel, as compared to a ton of wood? Concrete produces almost two times more solid waste by-product than wood, and wood produces 50% less greenhouse gas emissions than concrete and 26% less than manufactured steel. It takes approximately 8 times less fossil fuels to produce a finished wood product compared to other building materials. Concrete, steel, and aluminum come from materials extracted from the land that can never be replaced, and vinyl and most plastics are from non-renewable petroleum products. Wood comes out as a clean, ecologically responsible building material.

Pioneer Log Homes has used a lot of recycled wood from dismantled older structures over the years. In many parts of North America, buildings constructed over the past 100 years are being dismantled after outlasting their previous useful life. Those wood materials are being recycled and reused. We have used old bridge timbers, timbers from the famous “Lakeview Hotel” in Williams Lake and timbers and boards from all over British Columbia, Canada. We have used this wood as timber beams in new luxury log homes, wood flooring, cabinetry, millwork and the list goes on. In André and Wendy Chevigny’s custom log home, our commitment shines through as all the wood floors, interior doors and exterior shingles on the walls are from recycled wood.

It is believed that almost one third of the energy in North America is used to heat, cool and operate buildings. It is also a known fact that a wood building can be insulated for heating and cooling purposes to very high standards. Wood is an excellent natural insulator; it also moderates humidity, reducing the need for air conditioning and ventilation.

Pioneer’s natural Western Red Cedar logs are among Mother Nature’s most beautiful creations. They not only look aesthetically pleasing, but it is a known fact that Western Red Cedar is one of Mother Nature’s best natural insulators as well. Along with sound and solid building practices, Pioneer’s custom log homes are proven to stand the test of time in all parts of the world. We try to implement and recommend sound environmentally proper building practices, and geothermal technology for heating and cooling systems in as many building sites and home designs as possible.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. Even after harvesting the trees, those carbons are stored in the wood. A wood building sequesters carbons forever. This cannot be said for other building materials such as concrete and steel. A study done in the United States by Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) found that 26% less greenhouse gas emissions were created when using wood versus steel and 31% less greenhouse gas emissions when using wood versus concrete. This is a significant reduction in greenhouse gasses when choosing wood over steel or concrete.

Did you know that the standard or typical North American Home stores approximately 29 tons of carbon? That is the equivalent of driving the family car for 5 years.

As a rule, we have even more wood in one of our world-class homes than that of a typical North American wood frame home, so the percentages would be even higher.

Pioneer Log Homes of BC makes a conscious decision to use wood from sustainable forest resources. Canada provides this assurance through its comprehensive forest laws and enforcement regimes, and the British Columbia Forest Practices Code is known for having the toughest forest regulations on our planet. The Pioneer Group is especially proud to look after a log from its harvest in the woods to seeing it as part of our beautiful log homes that will be enjoyed for centuries by generations to come.

Not only are our buildings environmentally friendly, they are built from the most beautiful natural building material on our planet, making our luxury log homes the “Finest Log Homes on Earth”. When our custom log homes outlive their present-day use, they will be able to be dismantled, recycled and reused.

Contact our Pioneer Log Homes’ team today to learn more about our commitment to sustainability and reforestation. We use green building from design to construction to create the custom log home of your dreams.